By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Amid recent terror threats in Mindanao, the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Central Command (AFP-CENTCOM) reassured residents of the Visayas of their security during the recent inter-agency stakeholders security summit.

In a statement forwarded by the AFP 3rd Civil Relations Group, AFP-CENTCOM commander, Lieutenant Noel Clement, said, “Terrorism doesn’t have any territory and does not have any religion.”

“They will inflict damage and sow terror [on] anyone who gets in their way, but any threats, in any form, we will address it in order to prevent it from becoming a national issue,” he added.

The AFP-CENTCOM commander assured they have enough forces and assets to prevent terrorist activity in the Visayas.

Earlier this month, the Philippine Army 302nd and 303rd Infantry Brigades (303 IB) received additional troops with the arrival of a 94th Infantry Battalion company.

A total of 220 additional troops were deployed to Negros.

Amid the expected arrival of reinforcements, 303 IB commander, Colonel Benedict Arevalo, also addressed troops deployed to the area.

“As a stronger army force [on] the island, I order you to aggressively run after the NPA and prevent them from conducting atrocities and extortion, especially that [the] election period is fast approaching,” he stated. “Our numbers [are] enough to pursue the NPA (New People’s Army) and, with the support of other communities, local government units, and agencies, the numbers will continue to grow until these terrorists have [nowhere else] to run.”/DGB, WDJ

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